The speculation picked up speed as LeBron James approached another pivotal offseason.
Rich Paul has now publicly denied reports that he and James are preparing to pursue ownership of a potential NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas.
James is nearing free agency for the first time since 2018, when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. That alone fuels headlines.
Add in ongoing league expansion talks and a booming sports market like Las Vegas, and the narrative gained traction quickly. But Paul says the story has moved ahead of the facts.
Speaking on his podcast, the Klutch Sports CEO dismissed the idea outright. “I’ve never had a conversation with LeBron about anything, let alone about buying a team,” Paul said. He also pointed to the financial magnitude involved, referencing figures as high as $10 billion for a Las Vegas franchise.
Industry estimates from Sportico project expansion fees between $5 billion and $7 billion, numbers that could rise depending on market conditions and ownership structure.
Paul’s message was clear: there is no partnership, no negotiation, and no active plan in place.
Expansion momentum is real
The broader expansion conversation is legitimate. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly confirmed that the league will revisit expansion following its new 11-year, $76 billion media rights agreement, as reported by ESPN and The Athletic.
“I don’t know Eric Pincus, but I appreciate him. He put me at a level I didn’t know I arrived too. I don’t know where that article came from… I don’t have enough money to buy a team…
Las Vegas and Seattle are widely viewed as frontrunners.
James has previously expressed interest in owning a team, even mentioning Las Vegas in past interviews. He also holds a minority stake in Fenway Sports Group, according to Forbes, which owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC. That business footprint has long made eventual NBA ownership feel plausible.
What changed this week is clarity. The timeline simply does not match the speculation.
League insiders continue to describe expansion as preliminary. No formal bidding window has opened. No ownership groups have been approved.
“This notion that me and LeBron will be paired, I’ve never had a conversation with LeBron about anything, let alone about buying a team…
Meanwhile, history is within reach
While off-court talk circulates, James is still building his legacy on the floor.
In his 23rd NBA season, already a league record for longevity, he is just 10 games away from surpassing Robert Parish for the most regular-season games played in league history, according to projections from FanDuel Sportsbook.
After returning from a sciatic injury earlier this season, James remains positioned to claim the record with more than 25 games left on the Lakers’ schedule.
The contrast is striking. Expansion talk belongs to the future. Free agency decisions are approaching. But the present remains centered on competition and durability.
For now, according to Rich Paul, there is no Las Vegas partnership waiting in the wings. The ownership conversation can wait. LeBron James is still playing.
Reporting incorporates publicly available statements from Rich Paul, official comments from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, financial projections from Sportico and Forbes, and expansion coverage from ESPN and The Athletic. All valuations cited reflect current industry estimates.
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